BEÒLACH: Celtic Music

Pittsburgh’s Balmoral School of Piping & Drumming is proud to present Beòlach, a creative force from Cape Breton, best known for their innovative and exciting arrangements of traditional Scottish, Irish, and Cape Breton tunes for fiddle, bagpipes, piano and guitar. Beòlach lights the stage on fire with energy and witty stories, demonstrating their knowledge of and passion for this music.

The band has recorded three albums. The first two, Beòlach (2001) and Variations (2004), each gained critical acclaim and earned nominations for East Coast Music Awards. In 2005 the group was nominated for a Canadian Folk Music Award as Best Instrumental Artist. Upon reforming after a hiatus, during which members pursued their solo careers, Beòlach’s album, All Hands (2020), won two 2021 Canadian Folk Music Awards: Instrumental Group of the Year and Traditional Album of the Year, and received nominations for four East Coast Music Awards and a Juno Award. It has also appeared on Alex Monaghan’s Top 10 Albums (Folkworld) for 2020.

Throughout their history as Beòlach, the original members—Wendy MacIsaac (fiddle, piano, stepdance), Mac Morin (piano, stepdance, accordion) and Màiri Rankin (fiddle, stepdance)—have maintained solo careers and collaborated with renowned artists on the trad music scene. In their solo careers, they have been nominated for various East Coast Music Awards, Nova Scotia Music Awards, and several Canadian Folk Music Awards. They have appeared on Grammy and Juno winning albums and worked with artists of all genres. 

With their latest recording, All Hands, core members Wendy, Mac and Màiri welcome Matt MacIsaac (bagpipes, whistles, guitar) into the band, re-forming the group as a quartet. Matt brings an extensive repertoire of bagpipe music, experience as a professional touring musician, and he has won top honors at world piping competitions.

"There are trad-style tunes, beautiful mood pieces, ceilidh-ready dance pieces, all performed with superior assurance, tight band playing and loads of positive vibes.
********—--CeltBritFolkMusic.net

Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024 at 8:00pm
Carnegie Library Lecture Hall 
S. Craig Street and Forbes Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA